Gang-plow.



M. L. ALFORD.

GANG PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED 11. a, 1912.

1,053,343. Patented Feb. 18, 1913.-

Attorneys M. L. ALFORD.

GANG PLOW.

APPLICATION 11L11D1-I11R.8,1912.

053 343 Patented Feb. 18, 1913.

'2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Nitnesses Attorneys I MURRAY L. ALIOBD, OF LA FOURCHE CROSSING, LOUISIANA.

onto-now;

- Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 8, 1912. Serial No. 682,339.

Patented Feb. 18, 191 3.

To all whom it may concern: I

Bo it known that I, MURRAY L. Amman, a citizenof the'United States, residing at Lafourche Crossing, in the parish of Lafourche and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Gang-Plow, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gang plows of the self-propelling type, one of its ob ects being to provide a novel form of frame for holdin the plows in roper relation, said frame eing simple anrl durahle in construction.

A further object is to provide plows hav ing novel forms of colters connected to thelandsides thereof, said colters constitutin means for elevating. the plows over unyiel ing obstructions in the paths thereof, thereby preventing injury to the machine while in use.

A further object is to provide means for holdin the plows yieldingly in engagement with t is soil.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompan ing drawings the preferred form of t e invention has been shown.

In said drawings :--Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine, portions of the platform tliereof being removed; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 8 is a rear elevation of the machine. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the sliding colters or deflectors.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates parallel I-beams bearing downwardly at their ends upon cross I- heams 2, thus outlining a frame constituting the body of the machine. T-rails 3 are ar-' raniged dia onally under the central I-beams 1, t eir en being secured to the side beams l. Crossed strips4 are'arranged-diagonally under and secured to the beams 1 and are parallel with the T-rails 3. These beams 3 as well as the strips 4 constitute means for holding the plows and colters in proper relation to the frame, as will be hereinafter described. A platform 5 of any preferred construction is preferably supported by the beams 1 and a motor (3 may be arranged on this platform, the shaft 7 of the motor being provided with sprocket-s 8. Suitably braced arms 9 extend downwardly from the end portions of the front cross beam 2 and a shaft 10 is journaled in the lower end portions of these arms and has a roller 11 secured thereto and constituting the ropelling element of the machine. Sproc rets 12 are secured to the shaft 10 and each of them receives motion, as through a chain 13, from one of the sprockets 8. It is to be understood of course that any suitable means may be provided for controlling the transmission of power from the motor to the roller 11 and mechanism other than that shown and described may be provided for transmitting motion to the roller from the motor. A yoke 13' is pivotally connected, as its center, to the other end cross beam 2 and is suportcd by steering wheels 14 each of which is preferably provided with a centrally disposed annular rib or flange 15 whereby lateral movement of the wheels upon the soil is prevented. A shaft 16 is journaled in the frame of the machine at points remote from the yoke or arched axle 13 and chains 17 or other flexible elements are fastened at one end to this shaft and at their other ends to the arched axle 13 close to the wheels 14. A shaft 18 extends upwardly from the frame and has a hand wheel 19 at its upper end and a worm 20 at its lower end, said worm being adapted to engage and actuate another worm 21 secured to the shaft 16. Thus it will be seen that by rotating the hand wheel 19 one of the chains 17 can be wound on shaft 16 while the other chain is paid out, this resulting in the moving of the arched axle about its pivot. Obviously. therefore, the machine can be easily steered by a person located on the platform 5.

Those portions of the crossed strips 4 which are located in advance of the point of crossin are rovided with slots 22 which are paral e1 witli the beams 1. These slots can e located at any desired distances apart and each of them receives the straight standard 23 of a low. A collar 24 is secured to the standard and is contacted by one end of a spring 25 the other end of which is secared to the strip 4. This springserves to press thelstandard 93 'jdownwardlv. iThc; lower end of the standardis secured,- in any manner desired to thelpointra'nd moldboard. of a im-gea s to Y aniiia'r'm T2 tendin'grreaiwaidlyrffrom amuse-mil" rid-forwardly? V '2 of .a'fsl idingji'col terfifth'ez flo' elj.rf;a dv anc ing edge f ofthQ-blad 3' extending downwardly formf'af 'nos'e project W tend-.into the. soilgb'elm the landside bi theplo\\' ;1l ie'-"arm;-27is2 ot-Eo'nly;,seenrecl to the standard 23;}but1alsof I secured-toith landside ofijtlie; low I 1A series of opcnings 30 is 'formedin'. th upperend portion ot tlie'blade' 28 and ,lj'any }one of: theseopeningsis adapted to receivea;pivot,- pin 31 extendinmthrou h. aney o.-.-32 formed. at the-lower endof a ow spring..33. The upper end of the spring is boltedfior other- \vise fastened-tothe depending flange of the T-rail .3located in front of the standard 23. From the foregoing .itwill 'begseen' that when the machine is propelled forward the (-OltQI blade 28 .willcutintdthetsoil andthe plow 26 will be pressed.down:into the soil" a desired distance, the spring .25 serving to hold it yieldingly at.' the (lepthfdesired. Should the colter blade come intoycontaet with an unyielding obstruction "likelyto cause injury to the plow, it will ride over said obstruction, thus elevating-the plow-and causing the: springf'25 to be placed under stress; By reasonof the fact thatthexstand ard 23-is capable of both up .and down move. ment fandfforward and rearward movement within-the slot 22, it willbe{seenjthat ithe movement of a plow oye r an-ob'struction will not be interfered with but can-=be ..a ccom{ plishecl freely, and withoutinjury{to-any,

part of the machined" A It is. to be understoodof-course-thatany; suitable'means may be provided forclevat-"I lug-the plows and their colters28tmanually. For'eXnmpIea lever, not shown, can be'connectod by chains or -other Ilexiblo'lelements to the various collars24= so} that,f;when-.the leveris'pulled in one;jdirecltion,. alli ofvthe standards can be'elevated. r Ay-series'gbf standards Mf i'sf' carried,- b those portionsfofi tho.1T-rails 3'located in. ad vance .f of". their. point of jcrossinm lfeachof these standards carry ing..-'a; eoltendisk 3 5 ;at' its loweriendkg;springtfifl ZisT- preferably mounted on -each 'jsta'ndard 34 ""andfbcars downwardly, 'onlal'collar 37 0a the standard, the'upper end 'of tthe'spring bein 'securcd to the =.T-rail ,8. 5 .These "colters :are t ns-pressed yieldingly into fI-engagement with f'thsgsoil;

Anyjsuitable means .can;be;provided ;-for 'raisg ing and; lowering the standardsf 34,;6. Ineans", similar to that describedin' connection .with. the standard 23, being employed if desired. It is to be understood that in lieu of the aidQstandardgisialsosecuredf th'crmore,*by substituting wheels, such as sl1o wn*at'14,-for the roller 11, the machine cn nf be'fcaused to straddlea-rowland thus be used for cultivating plants.

plow shown at 96 in the drawings, any other suitable soil engaging means may be cut .'ployed'such; forexample, as cultivator shovels, 'spring harrowteeth, and the like. Fur- :Itwillbe noted by referring to the drawlngs'that the armyQT-isextended upwardly and rearwardly abruptly-and that the-lower end;oflthei'standard 23 slants downwardly .a'nd"for.wardly.- Both the parts 27 and 23 i,follow,.the j-curvature .of the plow .point whereby: they are prevented from becoming liuiigon gobstructions after the nose 29 has passed over them.

-- \Vhat is claimed is:v

1. The combination with a structure, and a plow movable upwardly relative thereto, of an inclined colter blade, an arm extending therefrom and secured to the landside of the plow, said blade having a nose projecting below the landside, and a spring connection between the upper end of the colter and said structure.

.2. The combination with a structure, of a plow mounted to move relative thereto, a c'olterflblade inclined upwardly and forwardly, a rearwardly extending arm upon the blade and secured to the landside of the plow anose extending downwardly from the blade and below-the landside, said nose and" blade 'constituting'means for elevating the plow over an unyielding obstruction, and

a connection between the' arm andsaid structure.

g 3.-. The combinationwithfg a structure, of a -.plow-. mounted to move relative thereto, a

colter blade inclined qupwardly and forwardly, a rearwardly extending arm upon theblade and secured. to .the landside of the plow,- ai nose extending "downwardly from -the blado and.belowtheglandside, said nose andblade constituting means for elevating the pl ow over an unyielding obstruction, and a spring connection between said arm and the structure;.

, 4.'A gang. plow-including a wheel supby,standardsmovably connected toand dependingfrom said members, plows carried by the standards, yielding means on the standardsfor holding the plows pressed into 'th'erefrom,fand spring connections between said blades and the plowstructure.

ported frame, crossed members carried there i engagementavith the soil, colter blades 1 fixedlyv connected to they landsides of the :plowsjandinclined upwardly and forwardly jf fi'g ng'plow including a wheel sup 1 ported; frame,- spring pressed standards do pending from. and adapted. toslide within theframc, plows 'carried'b'y the lower ends of the standards, upwardly and forwardly inclined colter blades in front of the plows.

rearwardly extending arms on theblades my own, Lhave hereto aflixed my signetun connected to the landsides of the plows, each in the presence of two witnesses:

blade having a depending'nose extending MURRAY L. ALI lOBD below the landside,- and flexible connections \Vitnesses: 5 between the colter blades' and the frame. LEONARD TLALGANT,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as HENRY E. Mom-mu. 

